Dinner for 7

Baked Cheddar Macaroni

Name: Baked Cheddar Macaroni
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 7 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 cups dried macaroni; 1 whole egg; 4 tbsp butter; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 2 1/2 cups whole milk; 2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard; 16 oz sharp cheddar cheese; 1/2 tsp salt (optional); 1/2 tsp seasoned salt (optional); 1/2 tsp ground black pepper; 1/2 tsp dried garlic powder; cayenne pepper; paprika; thyme; 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese; 2 tbsp fresh parsley

$6.88for 445 minServes 7

Macaroni is folded into a creamy cheddar sauce, topped with more cheese, and baked until bubbling and lightly browned.

Photo: gonnawantseconds.com

What it costs

Pick your city to see which ingredients are on sale

Ingredient	Amount	Cost
	Pasta, 14 oz$0.10/oz typical	14 oz	$1.40Typical price
	Eggs, 1$0.30 each typical	1	$0.30Typical price
	Butter, 2 oz$0.40/oz typical	2 oz	$0.80Typical price
	Milk, 21 oz$0.04/oz typical	21 oz	$0.85Typical price
	Cheddar and shredded cheese, 24 oz$0.30/oz typical	24 oz	$7.20Typical price
	Mint, 0.25$1.99 each typical	0.25	$0.50Typical price
	Fresh herbs (cilantro, a little$1.49 each typical	a little	$0.09Typical price
Total for the servings shown		$12.04

Swaps

Swap cheddar and shredded cheese for mozzarellaabout the same price
Swap milk for almondabout $0.01/oz more at typical prices
Swap butter for margarine and vegan butterabout $0.15/oz less at typical prices
Swap pasta for egg noodlesabout $0.04/oz more at typical prices

Pantry staples you likely have

FlourMustard, mayo, ketchupSalt and pepperDried spices (cumin, paprika, chili powder, oregano)Dried herbs, spices and seasoning blends

Not included in the cost.

45 minstart to table
Mediumdifficulty
7servings as written
$typical cost tier

American Vegetarian High-protein Budget Family Dinners

Typical price

$1.72 per serving$6.88 for 4

City Store

Typical price: Salefork's estimate of an everyday US shelf price for each ingredient. Pick your city to price it from this week's ad.

Ingredients

4 cups dried macaroni
1 whole egg
4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard
16 oz sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
1/2 tsp seasoned salt (optional)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried garlic powder
cayenne pepper
paprika
thyme
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
2 tbsp fresh parsley

Steps

Heat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking oil.
Boil the macaroni in salted water until just tender, about 7 minutes, then drain it.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, whisk in the flour, and cook for 1 minute.
Whisk in the milk and dry mustard, then simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.
Beat the egg in a bowl, whisk in a little hot sauce, and stir it back into the saucepan with 16 ounces cheddar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, paprika, and thyme.
Stir in the macaroni, spread it in the dish, top with the remaining cheddar, and bake for 20 minutes.
Rest the macaroni for 5 minutes and sprinkle it with parsley.